Big Ten Season Opener Set for Friday

Friday, September 22
#19 Purdue at Maryland
7 p.m. ET | B1G+
 
Sunday, September 24
#19 Purdue at Rutgers
1 p.m. ET | B1G+
 
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The No. 19 Purdue volleyball team is set for the opening weekend of Big Ten action, set to begin on the east coast on Friday.

Purdue (6-3) will take on Maryland (10-2) Friday at 7 p.m. ET before heading to New Jersey for a 1 p.m. ET match at Rutgers (8-2) on Sunday. Both matches will be available on B1G+ to watch.
 
THE NON-CON WRAP-UP

• After starting the season with a 1-2 record, Purdue went on a five-match winning streak and ended non-conference play 6-3.
• The future bodes well for the Boilermakers, as 83% of the offense, specifically kills per set, came at the hands of underclassmen.
• Chloe Chicoine and Eva Hudson accounted for 54% of all Purdue points.
• The Boilermakers received Freshman of the Week (twice: Chloe Chicoine), Setter of the Week (once: Taylor Anderson) and Player of the Week (once: Chloe Chicoine) during non-con action.

LOURDES MYERS: HEATING UP

• Over the last two weeks of play, Lourdes Myers is averaging a .439 attack % while tallying 19 total blocks. 
• Week after week Myers is besting her career-highs, most recently posting a career-high seven total blocks vs. UCF.
• The redshirt junior registered a career-high seven block assists vs. UCF (9/14), including having a hand in four of the team's five blocks in Set 1 alone.
• The Boilermaker has played in every match this season, and started eight of the team's nine matches, including her first collegiate start.

 
THE PLAYMAKER: SETTER TAYLOR ANDERSON

• Since Taylor Anderson made her first career start two weeks ago, she has led all Big Ten setters week over week.
• After averaging a Big Ten-leading 11.33 assists per set last week, she upped her game, averaging 12.14 in Week 4 to lead the way, despite her freshman status.

THE DYNAMIC DUO: EVA HUDSON & CHLOE CHICOINE

• Purdue is the only Big Ten team to have two players rank in the top-10 in kills per set and is joined this week by Nebraska for the first time in points per set. 
• Kills/Set: Chloe Chicoine (4th with 4.24) Eva Hudson (6th with 3.63).
• Points/Set: Chicoine (4th with 4.71) and Hudson (10th with 4.04).

SCOUTING THE MARYLAND TERRAPINS

• Maryland went 10-2 in non-conference play, the second most non-conference wins during head coach Adam Hughes' tenure. This includes going undefeated at home and on a neutral court.
• In the Terps' most recent match against Florida Gulf Coast, outside hitter Sam Csire became the 15th player to reach 1000 career kills in Maryland volleyball history. This season, she leads the team with 110 total kills and averages 2.89 per set.
• Maryland averages the third most blocks in the Big Ten with 2.88 per set.  They are led by Eva Rohrbach, 1.31 blocks per set, Anastasia Russ, 1.13 blocks per set, and Sydney Dowler, 0.95 blocks per set.
• The engine of the Terrapins' attack is their setter, Sydney Dowler, who leads the team and Big Ten in assists per set with 10.05. On the other side of the net, she ranks third on the team with 65 total digs.

 
SCOUTING THE RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS

• This match marks the first time Purdue will play Rutgers in Jersey Mike's Arena.  Meanwhile, it will be the first time this season that Rutgers has played in the facility.
• The Scarlet Knights enter Big Ten play with a record of 8-2, which marks their best non-conference start while in the Big Ten and their best start since 2012 when they began the season at 14-1 before Big East play.
• In Rutgers' last non-conference match against Princeton, senior libero Madyson Chitty became the 10th Scarlet Knight to reach 1000 career digs. She also leads the team with 129 total digs and averages 3.39 per set, which ranks 10th in the Big Ten.
• Alissa Kinkela leads the Scarlet Knights' attack with 3.11 kills per set while hitting .368 percent. She also leads the team with 118 total kills on 266 attacks.